Research Interests

My main research line focuses on gamification in sport and health management. In particular, I investigate the role of gamification in consumers’ digital sport and health behaviors. I am also interested in topics of sports behavioral analytics. I use multiple research methodologies including quantitative (e.g., machine learning, structural equation modeling, web scraping, meta-analysis; I am an R user) and qualitative (e.g., semi-structured interview) approach. Our work has appeared in renowned journals such as Computers in Human Behavior, European Sport Management Quarterly, Journal of Sport Management, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Journal of Medical Internet Research, British Journal of Sports Medicine, among others. I am on the editorial review board of Digital Health. My research keywords are:

• Gamification in digital sport and health management
• Sport behavioral analytics

Selected Journal Publications

1. Tamara Seufert, Yanxiang Yang, Iris Perey, and Joerg Koenigstorfer (2025): Fan Attitude toward Athlete Activism for Black Lives Matter. Journal of Sport & Social Issues. DOI
2. Yanxiang Yang, Terri Byers, and Joerg Koenigstorfer (2025): A machine learning approach to understanding performance of Canadian nonprofit sport organizations. Nonprofit Management & Leadership. DOI News
3. Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer (2025): The curvilinear effects of relative positions in smartphone App leaderboards on physical activity. Computers in Human Behavior. DOI News News
4. Yanxiang Yang, Joerg Koenigstorfer, and Tim Pawlowski (2024): Predicting transfer fees in professional European football before and during COVID-19 using machine learning. European Sport Management Quarterly. DOI Poster Appendix
5. Joerg Koenigstorfer, Yanxiang Yang, Jason N. Bocarro, Ian Brittain, Erik Lundberg, David McGillivray, Laura Misener, Laurence Chalip, and Michael B. Duignan (2023): The State of Play between Managing Major Sport Events and Human Rights: A Scoping Review. Event Management. DOI
6. Anton Behrens, Yanxiang Yang, and Sebastian Uhrich (2022): Keeping it real or bridging the gap? Brand positioning of US sport teams in Germany and China. Journal of Sport Management. 36(2): P105-117. DOI
7. Ida Kær Thorsen, Yanxiang Yang, Laura Staun Valentiner, Charlotte Glümer, Kristian Karstoft, Jan Christian Brønd, Rasmus Østergaard Nielsen, Charlotte Brøns, Robin Christensen, Jens Steen Nielsen, Allan Vaag, Bente Klarlund Pedersen, Henning Langberg, Mathias Ried-Larsen (2022): The effects of a lifestyle intervention supported by the InterWalk smart-phone application on increasing physical activity among persons with type 2 diabetes: A parallel-group, randomized trial. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. DOI
8. Yanxiang Yang, Huijun Hu, and Joerg Koenigstorfer (2022): Effects of gamified smartphone applications on physical activity: A systematic review and Meta-analysis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 62(4): P602-613. DOI News Appendix
9. Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer (2021): Determinants of fitness app usage and moderating impacts of education-, motivation-, and gamification-related app features on physical activity intentions: Cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 23(7): e26063. DOI
10. Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer (2020): Determinants of physical activity maintenance during the Covid-19 pandemic: a focus on fitness apps. Translational Behavioral Medicine. 10(4): P835–842. DOI News
11. Yue Xue, Yanxiang Yang, and Tao Huang (2019): Effects of chronic exercise interventions on executive function among children and adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 53(22): P1397-1404. DOI 上海交通大学首页新闻
12. Yanxiang Yang, Moritz Schumann, Shenglong Le, and Shulin Cheng (2018): Reliability and validity of a new accelerometer-based device for detecting physical activities and energy expenditure. PeerJ. 6: e5775. DOI

Conference Proceedings

• Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer. “Physical activity intentions depending on individual ranks in smartphone app leaderboards”. 31st European Association for Sport Management Conference, Belfast, Northern Ireland. 09/12/2023 - 09/15/2023. Oral presentation.(The Big Fish, City Hall)
• Yanxiang Yang, Keshav Gupta, Thilo Kunkel, Daniel Funk, & Joerg Koenigstorfer. “Gamification implementations in professional team sport apps”. The North American Society for Sport Management Conference. Montréal, Canada. 05/31/2023 - 06/03/2023. Oral presentation.
• Yanxiang Yang, Terri Byers, and Joerg Koenigstorfer. “Determinants of the Performance of Not-for-profit Sport Clubs: A Machine Learning Approach”. 30th European Sport Management Conference, Innsbruck, Austria. 09/04/2022 - 09/08/2022. Oral presentation.
• Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer. “Accuracy of a Prediction Model of Transfer Fees for European Soccer Players Traded during the COVID-19 Pandemic”. The North American Society for Sport Management Conference. Atlanta, GA, USA. 06/01/2022 - 06/04/2022. Oral presentation. Home of ‘96 Olympics
• Yiran Su, Yanxiang Yang, and Jason Doyle. “The fuel of empowerment: Exploring factors impacting the psychological empowering effect of sport mega-event branding”. The annual conference of Management Association of Australia and New Zealand. Melbourne, Australia. 11/2022.
• Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer. “Predicting transfer fees in European professional football before and during COVID-19”. The 11. Innsbrucker Sportökonomie und -Management Symposium (Innsbrucker Sport Economics and Management Symposiums). University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. 03/03/2022. Oral presentation. Innsbruck
• Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer. “Determinants of transfer fees in professional European soccer”. 29th European Sport Management Conference, Virtual. 09/29/2021. Oral presentation.
• Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer. “Effects of gamified smartphone apps on physical activity: A systematic review and meta-analysis”. The 10. Innsbrucker Sportökonomie und -Management Symposium (Innsbrucker Sport Economics and Management Symposiums), Virtual. 03/04/2021. Oral presentation.
• Yanxiang Yang. “Gamification in smartphone apps for physical activity”. Munich Center for Economics of Aging, Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy. 01/20/2021. Oral presentation.
• Yanxiang Yang and Joerg Koenigstorfer. “Pathways of how fitness apps increase physical activity”. 28th European Sport Management Conference, Virtual. 09/21/2020 - 09/25/2020. Oral presentation.